Faceoff
by ThePlotPoint
Summary: After the victory at Ba Sing Se, Zuko challenges Azula's motivation for wanting his help and she brings him to a secluded area to talk, brother and sister. Rated M for fight scene(s) and burn injuries.
1. Chapter 1

I wrote this after watching the last episode of Book Two, the Crossroads of Destiny, and before starting the Book Three. I wanted to explore Zuko's character some more. I wanted to see what would happen if he accidentally scarred someone the way he had been scarred. This story takes place on the way back to the Fire Nation after Azula captures Ba Sing Se. This isn't the way it happened, but I wanted to explore the "what if." Hope you enjoy!

It had been a chant I repeated to myself in a moment of desperation as a child. I should have realized how true it was.

"What do you mean, Azula?"

She dismissed me with a flick of her hand and turned her back to me, hands clasped where I could see them, as if to study the trees around us. "Just what I said, Zuzu. I never needed you to help me capture Ba Sing Se."

She whirled around, piercing me with her calculating stare. "You were just a piece on the board that fell into place in my favor."

I felt the heat rising and tried to control it with my breath. "You lied to me."

"Of course I lied to you," she snapped. "What did you expect?"

I clenched my teeth, trying to hold the fire in.

Her eyebrows softened. "Oh, did poor Zuzu think his sister had finally come to love him, had finally come to want him around?"

I glared at her, barely realizing my hands had formed into fists.

"Don't worry. I'll tell Father what happened, how you joined me and fought with true honor." Her narrowing gaze stung like a whip. "But then I'll tell him you did what you do best. What you always do. Fail."

Her mocking words curled around me like a vice.

"Do you know why I brought you here?"

I don't, but I don't answer.

Backing up a few paces, she spread he hands out. "This is where I defeated the Keoshi warriors and stole their…costumes."

So that was how she'd gotten in to Ba Sing Se. I should have known she'd used a disguise.

She glared. "No one wants you, Zuko. No one ever has. Even Uncle only wants to use you so he can take back the throne."

_That's not true,_ I forced the thought. _Azula always lies. Azula always lies._ But doubt had already crept in, just like it always did. Around the unseen edges at first, until, before I knew it, it wrapped around my heart like cold fingers…and squeezed. Then there was only fire. My hands clenched, already warming up.

She examined her hand. "Zuko, I think the only person who might have wanted you was Mother."

_Don't say it, Azula,_ I thought, barely able to contain the fire, and winced, knowing what was coming next.

"But she's dead, isn't she?" she asked with a gleam in her eyes.

In that instant, I wondered why I was holding back. I wondered why I had dared to hope that Azula would take me home to Father, my honor restored. I wondered why I even thought of her as my sister still.

_No more,_ I promised. I narrowed my gaze, the flame inside me building.

Azula smiled. "Poor Zuko. Always the underdog. Never quite able to keep up with the big kids."

My hands burned. Fire wrapped around them and I breathed. "I can keep up with you, _Sister_," I growled.

Still smiling, she laughed. "I still haven't told you why I brought you here. Aren't you curious?"

"I don't want to hear anything you—"

My words were cut off by a bolt of lightning at my feet. I'd only managed to jump back by reflex.

I stare at her in disbelief.

Her eyes burned with fire. "I brought you here, Zuko, to kill you."

In one swift motion, I took my stance and launched a flame at her.

I blinked. She was already gone.

Desperately, I looked around the trees, almost forgetting to look up high, to see where she had gone. Movement caught my eye, and I just managed to dodge another lightning bolt.

I sent more fire where I thought she was hiding, up high in the trees.

"Try again, Zuzu," her voice taunted, but I couldn't tell where she was.

"Show yourself!"

She laughed. "I thought you said you could keep up with me."

Growling, I jumped into the trees and found a branch to land on.

"Oo, impressive," she said flatly.

Another bolt of lighting, but this time I saw where it was coming from and jumped clear, sending my own attack at her.

The branch I had been on cracked at the base and dropped ten feet to the ground.

"You're not very good at hiding, are you, scar face?"

In that moment, several things happened. The fire roiled in every corner of my being. I jumped away before the next bolt struck the trunk of the tree, directly behind where I had been. And I released the fire, in every direction, as far, as hot, and as forceful as I could.

Panting, I landed on the flash-burned ground just outside the smoking forest. The grass had crisped and crunched under my boots. Then all was quiet. Behind me a river gurgled in the silence, mocking, ready to quench my fire.

Azula laughed, I struck at the sound, and charged electricity numbed my hand. I didn't even see the bolt.

She landed in front of me, unharmed, not even dusty, and strolled closer.

Weary, I took a defensive stance.

"You _have_ improved, Zuko. Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps I _should_ bring you home to Father. After all you've accomplished, I think he _would_ welcome you, the rightful heir to the throne."

My fingers tingled and I struggled to hold the fire. _Azula always lies,_ I thought. _Azula always lies. _"I'm tired of your games, Azula."

She clicked her tongue. "That's too bad, because I just _love_ them."

Another bolt of lightning, directly at my chest. Time slowed.

I attacked with a simple, extending, straight punch, the fastest I had. As I stretched, the intensity of the lightning passed in front of my chest, eliminating all air around me and I couldn't breathe.

The fire died.

My body buckled and I thought I would pass out. My jaw slammed onto the hard earth, and for a moment there was nothing but blackness.

I gasped for air and opened my eyes to Azula's merciless glare.

She raised her hand to strike, one final blow. And I noticed her mistake. She had stepped too close, perhaps to gloat over her victory. That was all I needed.

I swept my feet out and caught her ankle, knocking her over, her bolt chasing into the sky. Then I was on my feet and giving her everything I had.

But she managed to block every attack, barely, but she did. And that's all that mattered.

I chased her further into the open before she managed to leap away next to a lumpy pile of something that wasn't natural to the landscape.

But I didn't care what it was. My blood boiled and I chased after her, sending a concentrated fireball at her cowardly back.

She jumped away again, revealing a wide-eyed Earth Nation girl, directly in front of where Azula had just been.

I realized my mistake. The pile I had seen was a covered cart that the girl had been pulling.

Though she tried to protect her face with her arms, the fire swept over the girl.

I watched, horrified at what I had done, as the girl screamed and dropped to the ground, vainly attempting to put out her burning skin and hair.

Azula laughed and I spun out of the way of another lightning bolt. With a frustrated yell, I sent a stream of fire after her.

But she was gone.

I hesitated another moment, expecting Azula to keep attacking.

The Earth Nation girl moaned and cried, and a familiar feeling burned its way into my soul, the fuel for everything I did. Shame.

I dropped my hands and ran to the girl. Azula could attack me if she wanted to, if she was still watching. But I had to try to help this girl. I scooped her up, the stench of burnt skin all too familiar, and the only thing I could think was, _I caused this._


	2. Chapter 2

With the girl in my arms, I ran to the stream, knowing how much the cold water would sting. I charged in, splashing water into my face, and my body stiffened and steamed as my soaked clothes clung to my skin.

I struggled to maintain my breath.

The girl hadn't fought me, and I feared I was too late.

I dropped to my knees, getting her into the water as quickly as I could. The water would help. It had to.

Fully immersed, the girl showed the first sign of life since I had picked her up. She screamed, releasing her breath under the water, and thrashed wildly at me with her hands and feet.

A weight lifted from my shoulders, and I let her go.

She jumped to her feet still thrashing wildly, blinded by water dripping in her eyes.

Stepping back I witnessed the result of my handiwork. Her palms and wrists were red and raw, and her left cheek down to her jaw was several shades too red and blistered. Part of her brown hair near her face had burned and curled back.

My heart pounded and despite the water surrounding me, the flame flickered like an old sore. "Take it easy," I said, my palms up, fingers spread.

"Get away from me!" she yelled.

"I'm trying to help you."

"Don't touch me!" She tried to blink the water away, and when that didn't work, jammed her hands against her eyes and rubbed.

I winced.

Opening her eyes at me, seeing me for the first time, she gasped and stared at the scarred side of my face, looking nauseated.

My shame burned fiercely. I took a deep breath and released the energy. Gesturing to the water surrounding us I said, "Please. The water will help."

She recoiled.

I backed up and lowered my hands, not realizing until then that I had taken a step closer. "I only want to help you."

"Why should I trust you?" she snapped.

I looked at her plain clothes, Earth Nation clothes, and realized I was still in my Fire Nation armor that Azula had given me once I had rejoined her. It wasn't the armor of a prince, but it was enough to mark me as an enemy. My shoulders sagged and I couldn't meet her dark eyes. "I suppose you shouldn't."

She didn't answer.

I looked up with my good eye, hiding my left. "But you're hurt and need help. Let me help you."

Looking down at her arms in shock, she asked "What can you do?" She didn't sound convinced.

I looked away to the sky, wishing something I never thought I would. If only Katara were here. "I don't have the power of healing," I said and looked back at the Earth Nation girl. "But I've been through this."

I watched, waiting. She seemed to be thinking several thoughts at once and trying to sort through them. I found my own thoughts wandering to uncomfortable places. When Azula struck down Uncle. When he helped the Avatar escape and wouldn't meet my eyes. When my father stretched his fist out to me at the Agni Kai, full of rage.

I blinked and watched the girl, forcing all other thoughts aside.

Looking like she had reached a decision, she released a deep breath. With a questioning expression, she held her burned hands out to me.

"Come here," I said softly.

She stepped closer and I cupped her hands in mine, examining how badly she was hurt.

For a moment, her muscles were tense and I thought she would pull away. But when I didn't hurt her, she relaxed. Then, still holding her hands, I studied her face. Only a few minutes ago she had been beautiful. Now…. I took a deep breath. "This won't be pleasant."

She laughed quietly and squirmed. "It's already not pleasant."

I met her gaze with determination. "Put your arms in the water."

She grimaced, pulling the burnt skin around her mouth.

"This water runs cold and clean. It's the best thing to help you now."

She nodded. Easing to her knees, the water slipped around her arms.

I knelt with her and watched her face twitch as the water stung. "Deeper is better."

She nodded again and sat on her feet. Twice she gasped.

Sitting with her, I tried to think of something encouraging my uncle would say. Nothing came to mind, so I simply added, "That's good."

She wiggled her fingers stiffly.

"Now you need to put your face in the water."

She looked up at me and a surprised expression crossed her face.

I would never enjoy that reaction to my scar. "The longer you can stay there, the more it will help."

She swallowed. "Is this what you did?"

I paused, trying to forget the agony of the past that was branded to me. "No."

She searched my eyes. Fear showed in hers.

She was afraid of me. I supposed she had every reason to be. I waited while she slowed her breathing.

Finally she nodded.

I nodded.

She turned her head sideways and leaned into the water, eyes closed.

The cool water caressed her skin and I caught myself wishing she would completely heal.

She gasped, choking on the water, and jerked her face up, wincing at a light breeze.

I watched her, wishing there was more I could do. Wishing, even, that I could undo my mistake. She shouldn't have to suffer my fate. "You can do this," I told her.

She took a deep breath. "If—if I don't?"

I tried not to sigh, but couldn't stop the frown. "You'll look like me."

Her shoulders drooped. For a moment, she looked at the water, not seeing it, and licked her lips. She took another deep breath, a readying breath, and slowly lowered her face into the water once more. This time she stayed.


End file.
